Tis Better to Give
by Laura the infamous B
Summary: Just like the title says :)


** Tis Better to Give**   
by Laura Boeff   


Trance smiled as she took a deep whiff of her newest culinary creation. It was an   
old earth recipe. Something called a Lemon Meringue pie. She had found it in the files   
and it struck her as perfect.   
And it was.   
She grinned. Baking. Like she said- it was hard! But the results... Trance was   
surprised the whole crew hadn't sniffed it's way down to the kitchen: it smelled so good.   
But, it still needed a few minutes to cool down before it would be truly perfect. So   
Trance went off to find the perfect place to let her perfect pie cool. It was not long till   
she found it, and carefully set her creation down.   
Now, all she had to do was wait.   
Trance sat on the floor next to the door and smiled. She had made this pie for a   
very special person and for a very special occasion. She couldn't help but smile at the   
thought of how it would be received. Her tail coiled up in excitement.   
That tail caught her eye as it knotted happily. She had a nice tail. A perfect tail, if   
she might say so herself. Maybe a touch too long, but nice and slender. Trance caught her   
tail and smoothed her hand over it appreciatively. It was a very nice tail. And very   
handy-- though she had been raised to not use her tail like she liked. It was thought kind   
of rude to pick up things, or move things with your tail. Trance never understood that.   
Her tail was very good at picking things up and moving things. She never broke anything   
or dropped anything, but still... Still she had been taught it was_ improper_. Trance made a   
face. Improper or not, she liked her tail, and she liked using her tail!   
Trance coiled her tail into a helix, then a circle and smiled and glanced over to   
the pie. Just a few minutes more. Evening meal was one of the few things on the ship that   
was somewhat regimented, everyone generally gathering at the same time to eat. Because   
of this, Trance knew she would be able to give her pie gift to her intended recipient at   
just the right moment.   
Just a few minutes more.   
This was so exciting! She was barley able to hold still. So Trance went back to   
playing with her tail for distraction, making it coil. Yes, a very nice tail, and very strong.   
People tended to underestimate the strength she had in her tail. They saw it as thin and   
delicate, but it could take a beating. And had! She had nearly ripped Harper's head off   
that time he'd slammed a door shut on her tail. It was an accident, and he had felt bad,   
but it still hurt! But, her tail had survived. Yes, she had a very nice, very tough tail.   
And strong. That too.   
Trance jumped slightly at the sound of the door she was sitting beside opening.   
She grinned. Now was the perfect time to give her gift. Trance's very nice, very tough   
and very strong tail snaked straight out and went rigid .   
Seamus Harper might have expected many things when he walked out of the door   
to his private quarters, but tripping over Trance's tail was not one of them. Trance   
savored the look of utter confusion as the young engineer's legs became entangled in her   
rigid tail and the human went swan diving forward.   
Splat!   
Right into the Lemon Meringue pie sitting in it's precisely planned position on the   
floor outside of Harper's door.   
Trance coiled her tail back and petted it affectionately as the human heaved a   
sigh, face in the pie. She just smiled as Harper rolled over and propped himself up on his   
elbows. Pie coated every inch of his face. The slightly browned white meringue about the   
same shade of his hair- which also had gotten pie encrusted. His fingers reached up and   
wiped clear his eyes and Trance just smiled, and smiled.   
"This is for the paint, right?" he asked simply.   
Trance laughed and hopped to her feet. She bent down and swiped a dollop of pie   
off Harper's nose and tasted it. Perfect. She *was* getting better at baking. Then she   
looked at her human friend.   
"Now.. we're even," she told him, just as simply, before bouncing off. She would   
definitely have to bake pies more often. They were fun.   
And made a great gift! 


End file.
